Delayed switch action



v25 thel switch without extinguis Patented Jan. 8, 1929. Y

1 uliu'rl-:fo STATES- :im rra-fran RunninN,I or Arrnn'roN, WISCONSIN.

:imitan swrren acrroN.

Application led .April 9, 1926. Serial No. 100,847.

.This invention relates to a delayed actionswitch. ,It frequently happens that it is notv desirable to immediately extinguish an electric light upon operation of the switch., For 5 example, in garages, it is desirable to have .l thellght extinguished after the owner has locked the garage. This is not usually possible with the ordinary installations,l althou hit has been sometimes accomplished by te luse ,of two-way switches located atv dierentpoints. Obviously, there are numerous instances under which a delayed action switch is desirable. For example, it is frequently desirable to eut olf the light before retiring while havin a smallinterval- 301' which 'will have a quick'break for the delayed action, which is of such construction that it may be readily mounted in the usual orcelain or other housings without requir- .1ng`a lar e amount of room, but which,'o'n v the other and, is so constructed. that 1t may be mounted a conventional type of hous- Further objects lare to provide a very simple type of switch which is highly ypractical, which is reliable,and which 1s substantiallyfoolproof.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is a sectional view longitudinally a of the switch, such view corresponding 'approximately toa section on the line ,1--1 of Figure 2. y

Figure 2 is `a transverse sectional view 'which is pivotally mounted in a stationary .approximately on theline 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figurey 3 is a diagram of the connections fc .of the switch.

Figure 4, is an enlarged sectional view throu h the thermostatic element.

Re erring to the-drawings, it will be seen that the usual porcelain or other vcasing 1 has been illustrated. .This casing .is provided ,with an attaching front strip 2 of metal and carries the operating buttons 3 and 4. 'These operating buttons carry plungers 5,and 6 which, as may be seen from Figure 2, are jecting ears 7.

-These ears 7 lit within a rocking frame 8 frame 9. This rocking frame may be of the conventional form and carries one end of a rod 10 and also furnishes a seat-,for one end of a compression spring 11. -The other endA .of the rod passes through a yoke 12 which is pivot-ally carried by the stationary frame 9 This'yoke carries the'movable contact or blade 13 which is preferably insulated therefrom inthe usual manner. This .blade 13 is, therefore, adapted to snap linto either of two extreme positions. In the position shown in Figure 1, the switch is openwith regard to this blade. 'The ends of the blade arev adapted to receive the stationary contracts 14 and 15 when the switch is closed.

i The structure thus far described is the 30 l conventional type of snap switch.

An auxiliary U-sha ed stationary frame '16 is secured within t e casing 1 by means of countersunk'screws as illustrated. This frame receives the outwardly projecting pivotal lugs 17 of a lever or member 18l as shown most clearly in Figure 2. This member is preferably cut away between the trunnions .17 and receives one end' of the small tension spring 19 The other end of such spring being carried by'a lug 'formed inte` gral with the U-shaped stationary frame 16. 'lhe auxiliary framev 16 is connected to the stationary contact 14 as `shown in the dia- .grammatic view, Figure 3. A thermostatic element, such as indicated at 20, isv secured provided with `outwardly prol i to the casing 1 by means of a countersunk screw, as illustrated. This thermostat-ic element 20 has a 4horizontal arm -positioned inv alignment with the lever 18. It is wrapped with a heating coil 21, andsuch heating ccil may be covered by a suitable sheet 22 on its outer side, .andmay be separated from the thermostatic element by a`thin sheet 23 as shown vin Figure 4. One end of the heating coil 21 is attached, as indicated at 24, to

the thermostatic element 20. The other end of the heating c oil is attached to" the 'stationary contact `15 as illustrated in the diagrammatic view, Figure 3. I

' It is to be noted further that a foot or arm 25 is secured to the plunger 5 as shown .,in'Figures 1 and 2. and is preferably provided with a rounded end positioned in the path'of movement of the lever 1 8.

In using the switch, it is snapped on in the usual manner, the blade 13 connecting the contacts 14 and 15. IVhen it is desired to cut out the light, the switch is snapped off as lshown in ull'lines in Figures 1 and 2.

However, it is `to be noted that when the switch is snapped o n, the foot or member 25 vrocks the lever 18 into itsA full line position as shown in .Figures 1, 2 and 3, and thus causes the lever 18 to contact with the element 20. Practically no current passes through the coil 21 while the switch is closed as it is passed across the contacts 14 and 15 by means of the-blade 13. .However,"'wlien the switch is snapped open, the current passes through the coil to the thermostatic element`20, and from thence to theflever 1'8, thus forminga vby blade and stationary contacts. In a Ashort i' interval vof time, for instance, two minutes,

depending, of course, on the setting and construction of the device, the heating coil sufciently heats the therinostatic element 2O to cause its outer arm to move inwardly thus rocking the lever 18 inwardly, 'and positioning the spring 19 on the other sideof the center of the lever 18 from that shown in Figure 1. This causes the lever' 18 to quickly snap4 inwardly away from'the thermostatic element, and thus breaks the by pass connection with consequentextinguishing of the light.

It is to be particularly noted that this break secured by the thermostatically controlled portion of the switch is also a quickbreak so that' no destructive arcing can occur. y

When theI switch is again used, the lever 18 is rocked into thefull line position by meansof the foot 25 as previously described.

It will be seen that the automatic portion of the switch is of very simple and reliable construction, andis small, and may consequently, be mounted within the usual casing 1 of the switch.

Itlwill be seen further that the delayed pass around the switch" action mechanism is verysimple and is not likely to get out of order, and that the switch is substantiallyfool proof. It' will, therefore, be seen that a simple and reliable type of delayed action switch has been provided by means of which the operator may open the. switch itself and may thereafter be provided vwith light for a limited period before the automatic mechanism functions.

, Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, such descrip-- tion is intended as illustrative rather than limiting as theinvention may be variously embodiedand as the scope of `such invention is to be d'eterminedas claimed.

I claim:

1. In an electrical switclithe combination I of a pairY of stationary contacts, a movable member for bridging said contacts, a lever connected to one of said contacts, spring mechanism connected to said lever for quickly moving said lever when said lever has been initially moved, a. thermostatic ir imber adapted to contact with said lever and connected to the other of lsaid stationary oon- 'tacts' through a heating coil associated with such thermostaticV element.

2. An electrical switch comprisin a-pai-r of staticnaiy contacts, a quickv brea manually operable `mechanism for bridging said contacts, a pivoted lever connected to one of said contacts, a thermostatic member conunected through a heating coil to the other of said contacts and adapted to initiate the motion of said lever, and quick motion mechanism associated with said lever and adapted .to complete the movement of said lever when the initial movement has been made by the l thermostatic member.

3. An electrical switch comprising a pair of stationary contacts, a quick break manually operable mechanism for bridging said contacts, a pivoted lever connected to one of said contacts, .a thermostatic member connected through a heating coil to the other of said contacts and adapted to initiate the motionV of said lever, quick motion mechanism associated with said lever and adapted to complete 'the movement of said lever when the initial movement has been made by the thermostatic member, and a shoe connected with the manually controlled portion of said switch for moving said lever in to contact with said thermostatic element.

. 4. An electrical switch comprising a iirst.

`and a second stationary contact, a manually movable bridging., member adapted to connect said contacts, a lever pivotally supported and connected to said lirst stationary con tact, a spring connected to said lever and 'adapted to be rocked to either side of dead center,'a thermostatic member having a surrounding heating coil connected at one end to such member and at the other end to the second of said stationary contacts, said thermostatic memberbeing engaged by said lever into Contact with said thermostatic member. when the said spring is on one side of dead In testimony that-I claim the foregoing I center and adapted to rock said lever when have hereunto'set my hand at Appleton, in 10.

- said heating coil is energized to place said the county of Outagamie and State of Wisspring on the other side of dead center, and consin. means assoclated wlth said manually movable bridging member for moving said lever PHILIP PETER KAUFMAN. 

